BREMERTON — It was an evening of ups for one girls basketball team, and downs for another Jan. 15.
The North Kitsap Vikings ended a three-game losing streak by crushing the winless North Mason Bulldogs 59-26.
The win for the Vikes put them in the middle of the Olympic League. The team is one game behind the Kingston Buccaneers and Olympic Trojans, and two ahead of Port Townsend and the Bremerton Knights. Port Townsend and the Knights are tied with 3-6 conference records.
Being one game behind the Bucs and Trojans puts the Vikes in position to make a mid-season comeback. With seven games left in the regular season for the Vikes, there is an opportunity to take third. If the Vikes can continue the wins on the court, they have a chance to catch the Sequim Wolves (7-2), for second in the league.
The Port Angeles Roughriders (9-0) remain in first.
Bucs lose by 5 to Knights
Still holding a tie for third with the Trojans, the Bucs (6-3) suffered their first loss in four games against the Bremerton Knights.
The Bucs lost 49-44 on the road to the team with the third worst record in the Olympic League.
A loss to a team with a poor record, however, isn’t much of a surprise in a league where teams tend to upset their rivals consistently.
“This league is funny,” head coach Gail Wicklein said. “You never know who is going to step it up at any given time.”
The loss didn’t hinder the Bucs’ conference standings much, however, it put them just one game ahead of the Vikes. Another loss could put them at a tie with their Poulsbo rivals.
The Bucs travel to Port Townsend (3-6) for a Jan. 17 game.
The Vikes are on a bye Jan. 17. They return to the court Jan. 21, when they travel to face Klahowya (1-7).
Wrestling
Reece pins 3 during NK meet
POULSBO — Pinning two opponents in conference matches Jan. 14 in the North Kitsap High School Gymnasium wasn’t enough for Bobby Reece III.
Along with the Kingston senior’s two wins that took less than 4 minutes total, Reece also showed Bainbridge’s Mike Grant how a three-time State champion wrestles in a non-conference match.
Reece’s three pins were during the North Kitsap meet, where the Kingston team outmatched North Kitsap 58-21, but was outmatched by North Mason 48-36.
The North Kitsap meet followed the Island Invitational Jan. 11, where North Mason was the top team overall.
Kingston next faces the Olympic Trojans in the Kingston High School Commons at 7 p.m., Jan. 23.
North Kitsap was scheduled to host Port Townsend Jan. 16. The team travels to the Klahowya Klassic at 10 a.m., Jan 18.